The final was between the top two seeds, and it was Chris
Simpson who took the spoils, beating Daryl Selby for the first
time in seven attempts to become the inaugural CLIC Sargent PSA
Classic champion.

After
taking a close opening game Simpson raced through the second and
led 8-5 in the third only to see Selby fight back to reduce the
deficit.

It was one way traffic in the fourth though as Simpson took the
game 11-1 to claim his 9th and biggest title to date.

"This is definitely the best I played all week, I saved my
best squash for the final!" said a delighted winner.

CHRIS DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO
Like our MC Danny Lee stated, Chris had to play some
attritional squash at times, but to break Daryl up, that’s
what it takes.

Not
sure what Chris does to his opponents, but it seems he
squeezes errors out of them rather nicely, 17 for Daryl
today.

Of all the years I’ve seen Daryl play, that is a first.
Daryl admitted – reluctantly – that he was not maybe at
100%, but immediately stressed that it wasn’t taking
anything away from Chris. “I didn’t have the patience I
needed to break him down, and that’s why I clipped I don’t
know how many tins!”

I
know. 17. 5, 5, 5, and 2. .. Against 0, 0, 2 and 1 for
Chris…

First game started very well for Chris, 4/1, 7/4, but Daryl,
patiently, relentlessly, found a better balance between the
front and the back, frustrating Chris a bit, 7/7. A few
stunning rallies, 9/7 for Chris, a great attacking squash
from Daryl, 8/9, but a backhand low drive for Chris, and a
tin for Daryl, and it’s 11/8 for the Guernsey HardToBeat
man.

The
second, Daryl never really showed up, 11/2 for Chris in no
time at all. And it looked like an easy three love in sight
for Simpson. That was not counting on Daryl’s determination…

3/1 Daryl, then 3/3. Chris gets Daryl at the wrong end of
very long rallies, 8/5.

But
experience, will and a dog with a bon attitude from Daryl –
also pride as his wife Lucy, mum Karen and two kids Noah and
Harrison were watching the match – allow him to score 5
points in a row, 10/8, to take the game 11/9!

But that’s all Daryl had left in the tank, and the 4th is
like the 2nd, with Chris dominating from start to finish,
11/1 to Chris, who won absolutely flying with joy at the
end, bless his Guernsey Heart…

I
kept my best squash for the final!

I beat him once, not in an official tournament, Cleethorpes,
a few weeks ago, although he had a bad week, and a heavy
training with the squad, it still gave me confidence I could
beat him.

This is definitely the best I played all week, I saved my
best squash for the final! Apart from a few nerves in the
3rd that it. My shots were more severe than the previous
matches, even if I couldn’t win the points quickly, but then
again, you can never win points quickly against Daryl.

I
thoroughly enjoyed it, it was such a fair match, even when
there was contact, we both tried to play the ball
throughout, calling every ball. I think it was a good
reflection on squash.

I need to thank a few people.

During the past months, I kept working with DP [David
Pearson], but I am also now working with Neil Guirey and
David Campion, who not only helped me from a squash point of
view, because they are such great coaches, but also with the
mental side of things, because of the belief they have in
me…